Jealousy
by bashipforever
Summary: Angel finds himself having to work for redemption again, this time for entirely human reasons. Future fic number 4 (after Perfection) in the Shanshu Series. BA


Title: Jealousy  
Summary: Angel finds he has to redeem himself, this time for entirely human reasons. Part 4 of The Shanshu Series. Takes place after Perfection. Buffy's POV   
Rating: PG   
  
"Angel, there was a stripper!" I shriek.   
  
"Buffy, I promise I didn't know there was going to be a stripper. Gunn just wanted to throw me a bachelor party" Angel says.   
  
"And believe me, when I get a hold of Gunn he will be deader then dead. Did it ever occur to you or Gunn that once you get married, you're not a bachelor anymore?" I say. I cross my arms over my chest to keep from hitting him.   
  
"There wasn't time for a bachelor party before the wedding, so Gunn decided to throw me one now" Angel says.   
  
"And you had no say in this?" I ask.   
  
"I didn't know there was going to be a stripper" Angel says.   
  
"And exactly what did you think would happen at a bachelor party?" I ask.   
  
"I don't know. The only one I've been to they tried to eat the former husbands brains" Angel says.   
  
"But did they have a stripper?" I ask.   
  
Angel swallows hard and shifts slightly. It's all the answer I need.   
  
"That's what I thought," I say and storm out of the room.   
  
I find Gunn in a diner down in his old neighborhood. He's sitting there laughing with his friends.   
  
"Charles Gunn, you and I need to talk" I snap.   
  
A chorus of "oooo's" go around the table. Gunn glances up at me and I see defiance in his face.   
  
"Trust me, this is not a conversation you want to have in front of your friends" I say.   
  
Gunn shrugs and stands up. He saunters outside with me. I take deep breaths and then look up at him.   
  
"This 'bout the bachelor party I had for Angel?" Gunn says.   
  
"Yeah, news flash here, as of three weeks ago, he's not a bachelor anymore" I snap.   
  
"I know that but dude is 255 years old and he's never had a bachelor party, wanted him to have one" Gunn says.   
  
"The dude has a very jealous wife, who is also a slayer, and you had a stripper there! He came home with lipstick all over his collar! There was even lipstick on his boxer shorts!" I try to keep my voice down. We are standing in a public street.   
  
Gunn chuckles and I want to hit him.   
  
"This is not laugh at Buffy's insane jealousy moment!" I say.   
  
"Sorry, but it was funny. Man, Angel is so crazy over you it's sad. Nothing happened. The strippers-"   
  
"Strippers? Now there's more then one?" I say.   
  
"You don't even wanna hear me out. You wanna throw down right here? Would that make you feel better?" Gunn says.   
  
"What you think you could take me?" I ask bowing up.   
  
Gunn shakes his head. "Hell no. I've seen you fight but if it'd make you feel better and get Angel out of trouble I'd let you beat on me" he says.   
  
Nice Gunn, really the way to deflate my anger. I sigh and shake my head. "No I don't want to beat on you" I say.   
  
"It was all in good fun. Angel didn't do anything. He protested the entire time that you were gonna stake him. We told him he wasn't a vamp anymore and he said that wouldn't make him any less dead. The strippers tied him up, took his shirt and pants off and put lipstick in strategic places. It's what goes on at bachelor parties, didn't mean anything" Gunn says.   
  
I mutter under my breath.   
  
"You do know he is never allowed to go out with you again" I say.   
  
Gunn grins at me. "Don't worry. I don't think I could pry him away from you anyway."   
  
I leave Gunn to his friends and go back to the hotel. It quiet but I can hear soft music, Norah Jones I think, from our suite of rooms. I can't help but smile as I see the trail of red rose petals and votive candles lining the stairs.   
  
There's another red rose balanced on the door knob of our door. I pick it up and bury my nose in its petals. The fragrance makes me smile wider. I open the door and the room is awash in candlelight. Angel is sitting on the bed, silk sheets pulled up his hips. There is a huge box of Godiva chocolates next to him.   
  
I giggle softly and walk across the room to him. I crawl into the bed and curl up next to him. He picks a chocolate out of the box and feeds it to me.   
  
I smile in utter contentment. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but what is all this?" I purr.   
  
"Redemption" 


End file.
